According to the 1963  population  census, the population of The Gambia was 315,486, and at independence  in 1965  it was estimated at around 325,000.

Whilst in 1973 and 1983 the Census counts were 493,499 and 687,817 respectively. The 1993 census gave a total count of 1,038,145. The curret figures for the 2003 population and housing census put the population at 1,360,681 and  composed of 670, 841 males and 689,841 females. The population density, currently estimated at 127 persons per square kilometre, is extremely high.

Growth Rates
The first population and housing census in The Gambia was organised by the British Adminstration in 1881. Decennial cenuses were regularly orangised  since then till 1941 when the Second World War necessitated a postponement till  1994. Between 1963 and 1973 when the first post-independence census was held, the recorded inter-censal rate of population was 4.6 per cent, a figure which reflected both a high rate of natural increase of the population as well as The Gambia's primary status as a recipient of immigrants from neighbouring African countries.

Thus The Gambia ranks among the countries with the highest population  growth rates in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is this high rate growth, rather than the size or density of the population per se, which constitutes the basis for the deep concern about the country's demographic structure. The Gambia's phenomenal rate of population growth is determined largely by the interplay between four main factors. These are, firstly, the youthful age structure of the population which implies that a substantial proportion of the population is concentrated in the reproductive or child-bearing ages; secondly the persisently high fertility rates; thirdly, the rapidly declining mortality rates; and lastly, the volume, persistance and direction of migration flows in and out of the country.

Age Structure
The persistently high fertility levels combined with declinng mortality rates have resulted in a very youthful structure of The Gambia's population. About 42 per cent of the population is under 15 years of age (2003 Population and Housing census), 54 per cent between the ages 15-64 and just over 4 per cent above the age of 65. This gives a high dependency rate of 86per 100 persons of working age, which implies that every person of working age would have to support 1.86 persons including himself/ herself.  Moreover, the preponderance of very young persons in the population means  an increase in the rate of populartion growth in years to come as the young age cohorts move into the reproductive age.

Fertility  
One of the main factors contributing to the rapid increase in the size of the population is the high level of fertility. All available evidence indicates that fertility levels in The Gambia have remained persistently high over the last twenty years. Figures in the 2003 Census indicate a crude birth rate (CBR) of 41 per thousand and the total Fertlility rate (TFR) of 5.35. There are considerable variations in fertility across the country. According to both the 1993 and 2003 Censuses, fertility of women in Banjul and kanifing (urban areas) is much lower than that of women in other areas. The crude birth ranged from 30.6 per thousand in Banjul to 50.7 per thousand in Basse (URR). Total fertility was estimated at 3.93 in Banjul as against 6.19 in Kuntaur (CRR north) and Basse (URR).  Greater access to education in areas with lower fertility rates may be an important underlying cause of the differences.

The 1993 Census revealed a lower 6.30 for women without education.  Ethnicity has also emerged as a determinant of fertility. According to the 1993 Census, Jolas appeared to have a lower TFR of one child less compared to the Mandinkas, Fulas and Wollofs. While a lower TFR is diserable, it is important to find out the low TFR among the Jolas.

Adolescent fertility has been a growing problem with far- reaching social economic consequences. There has been an upsurge in teenage pregnancies, compounding the health risk and socio-economic situation of girls and young women. The incidence of illegal abortions and dropouts among schoolgirls can be attributed to unwanted and teenage pregnancies. The 2000 Adolescent/ Youth Survey shows that sexual activity was prevalent among adolescentt/ youth in that 41.5 per cent had experienced sexual relationship at least once. About 15% of the sexually- active females had been pregnant at least once. Half of the pregnancies reported were unwanted and most occurred to young school grls who had to leave school as a result.

Mortality  
While the level of mortality, especially among infants, the trends over the past has been one of decline as a result of the improvement and extension of health services, particularly PHC services. The crude death rate (CDR) declined from 21 per thousand in 1983 to 11 per thousand in 1993 and further declined to 9 per thousand in 2003. The infant mortality rate (IMR) also declined from 167 to 84 and 75 per thousand live births over the same period. However, life expectancy at birth correspondingly increased from 42.8 to 59.3 and 64 years for both sexes in 1983, 1993 and 2003 respectively. Under-five mortallity declined from 135 in 1993 to 99 per thousand live births in 2003. The maternity mortality rate (MMR) is 730 per 100,000 live births (2001 Maternal, Neo-natal, Peri-natal, & Infant Mortality, Contraceptive Prevalence & Fertility Determinants Survey), which is far higher than that of the Sub-Saharan African average of 616 per 100,000 live births.

Some information is also available on mortality differentials. While the infant mortality rate for the country as indicated in the 2003 Census Report was 75 per thousand livebirths, the rate varied from 36 in Banjul to 96 in the Lower River Region. Similarly, the under-five mortality rate is 99 per thousand live births and varies from 980 per 100,000 in PHC villages to 871 per 100,000 in non- PHC vilages (200l Maternal, Neo-natal, & Infant Mortality, Contraceptive Prevalence & Fertility Determinants Survery).  The study cited above also indicated that Maternal Mortality rate in the rural area is nearly twice as high as that of the urban area. Evidence of an inverse correlation between and education level was also provided by the 1993 and 2003 Census Reports. In  2003, the under-five mortality rate was estimated at 96 among children born to mothers with no education as against 55 for children born to mothers with secondary education and above.